10 Songs is a weekly list of ten songs that happen to be on my mind at the moment. The lists are usually dominated by songs played on the previous Sunday night's edition of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl. The idea was inspired by Don Valentine of the essential blog I Don't Hear A Single.
This week's edition of 10 Songs draws exclusively from the playlist for This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1144.
THE FLASHCUBES FEATURING DAVID PATON: Get Up And Go
A favorite phrase in my current lexicon is "new music from the Flashcubes." The Flashcubes' series of (usually collaborative) new Big Stir Records digital singles continues with this shiny-minty cover of Pilot's "Get Up And Go." And ho-ho-ho, it's MAGIC, as Pilot's David Paton hisself joins in for a stellar update of his own 1977 composition. High-flyin' Flashcubes! Get up and go.
ELENA ROGERS: You're Sorry
Aw, this is just luscious. Elena Rogers has been an occasional player in previous TIRnRR playlists, both as a solo performer and with her absolutely exquisite backing vocals on Allan Kaplon's Notes On A Napkin album. In each of these examples, Elena has worked with producer and musical superhero Jamie Hoover of the Spongetones, and our Jamie remains present 'n' accounted for on Elena's debut album Opus One. "You're Sorry" is my favorite so far, and we'll hear it again on next week's show.
THE KINKS: You Still Want Me
My introduction to the Kinks' 1964 single "You Still Want Me" came via my pal Jay in...well, it musta been the late '70s, though I guess it could have been in the very early '80s. It was a non-LP track, and it hadn't appeared on any of the Kinks compilation albums I knew.
Jay had "You Still Want Me" on a 7" import EP called Yesteryear Series, which reprised (HAR!) all four tracks from the Kinks' first two British singles, "Long Tall Sally"/"I Took My Baby Home" and "You Still Want Me"/"You Do Something To Me." I already knew and loved "I Took My Baby Home" (as revealed in a previous post recalling my introduction to the Kinks' music), and was immediately indifferent to their take on Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally." "You Do Something To Me" was a catchy li'l beat number, and I thought "You Still Want Me" was even more so. My favorite of the four remained (and still remains) "I Took My Baby Home," but I already owned a copy of that one. So I asked Jay to play "You Still Want Me." And to play it again. Beat, repeat!
Listening to the record together at Jay's house, our friend Beth found it reminiscent of the Dave Clark Five, but to me it sounded more like the Searchers. Great, underrated record. And, although neither of the Kinks' first two singles were what the public wanted to take home, the Kinks' third single turned out to be a different story.
SAM PHILLIPS: Baby, I Can't Please You
As always: for Lorelei and Rory, and all of their friends in Stars Hollow.
NATALIE SWEET AND BRAD MARINO: Second Time
Man, this one pumps like pop with power oughtta. Individually, Natalie Sweet and Brad Marino have already established their respective rockin' pop bona fides, but now, with their forces COMBINED...?! Sign me up! Our spin of "Second Time" on this week's show prompted loyal listener Mike Browning to write, "Despite the Beatles' advice, I say YES to Second Time!" Right you are, Mike. Right you are. And--of course!--this track will get its second time here on next week's show.
THE RAMONES: I Don't Want To Grow Up
The Greatest Record Ever Made!
ANDREA GILLIS: I Don't Need You No More
Hey, our first-ever J. Geils Band cover, courtesy of the irresistible Andrea Gillis. Our obsession with Andrea's ace 2021 track "Leave The Light On" means we've played her stuff a lot more often than we've played the Geils boys. We actually do like the J. Geils Band, their lack of airplay notwithstanding; their path to the playlist must'a got lost somewhere down the line. We're thrilled to at least give 'em a proxy spin this week, thanks to Andrea's current single version of "I Don't Need You No More."
THE METERS: Hang 'Em High
Amidst the hype leading up to last week's presentation of The 11th Annual Dana's Funky Soul Pit, intrepid TIRnRR listener (and Pop Co-Op guitarist) Joel Tinnel wrote to us: "The Meters. Must have the Meters. 'Hey Pocky a-Way,' 'Fire on the Bayou,' or 'Trick Bag' would work rather nicely." BUT! Dana already had specific Fab plans for this year's Soul Pit, and that particular blueprint didn't leave room for anything by the Meters.
Fun fact: Dana and I programmed this week's show before I knew of Dana's concept and playlist for The 11th Annual Dana's Funky Soul Pit, Nonetheless, I figured we oughtta try to belatedly honor Agent J's request, and our weekly after-the-tag bonus track--WAIT!WAIT!WAIT!WAIT!WAIT!WAIT! We got a little more This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio!--provided the opportunity to plug in a Meters tune. Didn't have room left for any of the Meters tracks that Joel suggested, but spaghetti Westerns are our salvation! We hope a spin of the Meters' cover of "Hang 'Em High" satisfies the ol' Meters jones for the time being. Hang 'em high. Turn it UP!
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.
I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl
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